The question
More and more people are moving to other countries to live and work. Do the advantages of immigration outweigh the disadvantages for the destination country?
Write at least 250 words.
What the question asks
Weigh economic and cultural benefits against pressure on services and integration challenges, then judge.
Essay plan
- Introduction: Say advantages are greater when immigration is well planned.
- Body 1: advantages: Fills labour shortages, pays taxes, brings skills and diversity.
- Body 2: disadvantages: Pressure on housing, schools and healthcare; tension if integration is poor; solutions.
- Conclusion: Planned immigration with language and integration support benefits society.
Band 7+ sample essay
Global migration has increased in recent decades, and many countries now have large immigrant communities. Although immigration creates certain challenges, I believe that its benefits for the receiving country are greater, as long as it is properly managed.
The most significant advantage is economic. Immigrants often fill jobs that local workers do not want or cannot do, in sectors such as healthcare, construction and agriculture. They also pay taxes, start new businesses and contribute skills and ideas. In countries with ageing populations, young immigrants help to support pensions and keep the economy growing. Culturally, they bring new food, music and traditions that make society more diverse and interesting.
On the other hand, a rapid increase in population can put pressure on housing, schools and hospitals, especially in large cities. If newcomers do not learn the local language or feel excluded, communities may become divided and tension can grow.
These problems are not inevitable. Governments can invest in housing and public services in advance, offer language courses and encourage immigrants to take part in local life.
It is also important to remember that many immigrants come as students and later stay as highly skilled workers. These graduates have already been educated at the country's universities, so employing them gives the economy a quick return on its investment, and they often become strong links with other countries for trade and research.
In conclusion, immigration brings economic and cultural advantages, and with careful planning and integration policies, the difficulties can be limited, so the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.
255 words.
Why this essay scores well
- Task Response: every part of the question is answered and the position stays consistent from the introduction to the conclusion.
- Coherence and Cohesion: each paragraph has one clear idea, linked with natural connectors rather than a list of memorised phrases.
- Lexical Resource: topic vocabulary is precise and varied, without forcing rare words.
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy: a mix of simple and complex sentences, with conditionals and relative clauses used accurately.
Useful vocabulary
- labour shortage — not enough workers
- ageing population — a society with more older people
- integrate — become part of a community
- diversity — variety of people and cultures
- public services — healthcare, schools and similar
- contribute to — give something to
- tension — feelings of conflict
Common mistakes on this question
- Making negative generalisations about groups of people.
- Ignoring solutions.
- Writing about your own country only without explaining.
Study guides
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Frequently asked questions
What type of essay is this IELTS Task 2 question?
It is a advantages and disadvantages question. Weigh economic and cultural benefits against pressure on services and integration challenges, then judge.
How many words should the essay be?
Write at least 250 words. Most strong answers are 260–290 words, planned in about five minutes and completed in 40 minutes.
How many paragraphs should I write?
Four paragraphs work well: an introduction, two body paragraphs and a conclusion. Each body paragraph needs one main idea, an explanation and an example.